Michigan's Depth By Class, 2011

This is the front-page version of the post that lives in the "useful stuff" tab updated for 2011. Since Hoke announced Michigan would be running a shifted 4-3 I've changed the defensive depth chart to reflect what's likely to happen in spring. Defensive ends have been split into strong and weakside positions and Ryan Van Bergen has been moved back into the DT row on the assumption Michigan's starting DL reads Black-Martin-Van Bergen-Roh next year. Large sections of the secondary are wild-ass guesses we won't get resolution on until Spring.

Right now Michigan has 16 slots for the 2011 class and two players who are obvious candidates to not get fifth years, so with normal attrition they'll be in the mid-twenties again next year.

As far as the end result of The Process: Michigan is two scholarships short pending tomorrow's Willingham commitment, which right now looks like it won't go M's way. In addition, they're carrying Mike Williams—a likely medical redshirt—and at least two more players who could have not gotten fifth years after graduating this spring. Michigan forewent up to five additional recruits thanks to the awkward timing of The Process. They didn't sock themselves with USC scholarship penalties—they socked themselves with half of USC's scholarship penalties.

Anyway:

MICHIGAN FOOTBALL DEPTH BY CLASS 2011

Position

Incoming (c/o 2015)

Freshmen (c/o 2014)

Sophomores (c/o 2013)

Juniors (c/o 2012)

Seniors (c/o 2011)

QB (3 + 0)

D. Gardner* R. Bellomy

D. Robinson

RB (8 - 1)

J. Hayes T. Rawls

F. Toussaint* S. Hopkins

M. Cox* V. SmithT. Jones

M. Shaw

FB (0)

Kerridge#

McColgan*#

WR (8 - 3)

R. Miller* J. Robinson* D. Williamson*

J. Jackson

J. Stokes

J Hemingway*D. StonumM. Odoms

Slot (5 - 1)

J. Gallon* D. Dileo

R. Roundtree* T. Robinson*

K. Grady*

TE (2 - 1)

C. Barnett

B. Moore*

K. Koger

OT (4 - 1)

T. Posada

M. Schofield* T. Lewan*

M. Huyge*

OG (4 + 0)

C. Bryant

P. Omameh* R. Barnum*E. Mealer*

C (4 -1)

C. Pace* J. Miller

R. Khoury*

D. Molk*

DT (6 - 2)

T. Talbott* R. Ash*

Q.Washington*

W. Campbell

M. Martin R. VanBergen*

SDE (3 + 0)

K. Wilkins* C. Rock

J. Black

W. Heininger*#

WDE (3 + 0)

J Paskorz* B. Beyer K. Heitzman

C. Roh

S. Watson*

LB (12 - 2)

J. Ryan* K. Jones A. Poole F. Clark D. Morgan

M. Jones* I. Bell* C. Gordon* B. Hawthorne*

K. Demens*

B. Herron* JB Fitzgerald K. Leach*#

CB (9 - 1)

Hollowell G. Brown R. Taylor Countess

C. AveryT. Talbott C. Christian

JT Floyd*

T. Woolfolk*

SS (6 - 1)

J. Furman*

M. Robinson T. Gordon* C. Johnson

J. Kovacs* F. Simmons#

M. Williams*

FS (2 + 0)

T. Carter

R. Vinopal

P/K (3 + 0)

M. Wile

B. Gibbons* W. Hagerup

projected starters in bold,returning starters in italics.redshirts denoted with *,walkons with #.

Allotted: 83 (Counting Kovacs and Grady as a scholarship players)

Seniors: 14.

Recruits: Right now Michigan has 16 scholarships. There are two redshirt juniors who may not get fifth years if Michigan finds it needs a little wiggle room: Terrance Robinson and Mike Cox.

Why are people so up in arms over Vinopal? I think he did pretty well out there at FS last fall when he was asked to start. Now, I don't think he was All Big Ten, but he was a true frosh. And there's some reason he got the nod to start over MRob and Carvin. I don't know if he'll start again this fall, but I don't see why he wouldn't be the best option. He's a little smaller than a couple of the other guys, but he's just as fast (or likely faster) than his competition.

Plus Vinopal seems pretty smart, and that's necessary for FS. It's the most cerebral DB position, maybe the most of the defense. It's possible that what Vinopal lacks in ideal size, he makes up for in brains. He's also fast and likes to hit. Why is everyone so against him?

I really think that Vinopal has a shot at developing into a really good starter if can develop some size and strength. Though it says a lot about our safety play for the last several years, his INT against Bowling Green was one of the more instinctive plays Michigan's had in the defensive backfield for a while.

In all honesty, I'll be much happier with Vinopal starting than Kovacs. God bless the guy for all his toughness and heart, but I don't think Jordan's getting any bigger or faster at this point. If he's still starting this season, I think that will be a disappointing statement on our depth at SS.

Just looking at that depth chart, I have to wonder why we took like so many LBs and CBs and so few OL players?

I know that defense has been a glaring problem, but we already have a ton of young CBs. I could see the logic if these were all guys who were too good to turn away, but some of these are "generic 3* guys", so I wonder if we are going to take generic 3* guys, why not take a few more generic 3* linemen?

Possible answer: Are some of these kids viewed as potential (re)openings for pipelines into some of the local schools who have good kids coming out in the future but for some reason are down on M?

Isn't it obvious that when Hoke and his coordinators reviewed the film from every Michigan game last year, they came to the conclusion that the immediate need for this team (based on current and future personnel) was defense ? They recruited for the immediate need. Did they get everyone they wanted ... nope, but in a very short time they evaluated and recruited as best they could ... and better than most everyone thought.

Go Blue !

No place on earth I'd rather be on a football Saturday than Michigan Stadium !

Actually, we're fine at C and OT. It's OG where we're thin. We really could have used Fisher, and I hope there's still some OG out there on the staff's charts that we don't know about. Otherwise we're starting a true freshman in 2013, with freshman backups.

When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing. -Bo

As a crisis. Not sure why you say Posada projects as a guard when the staff projects him as tackle. Going by the depth chart, year after next we start 2 juniors, have a sophomore backup and, hopefully, 2 high-quality freshman recruits. While that's not ideal, I don't see this as impending doom.

The problem at OG is that once our 3 juniors graduate (or god-forbid, leave for the NFL early), we've got exactly one dude to fill two spots. Obviously we'll recruit more, but that means it's true freshman time. Again.

When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing. -Bo

As I mixed the two up while typing. A hazard of posting from a mobile phone in SE Asia. Suffice to say, I'm concerned about what happens when the current juniors graduate or leave. We're thin, thin, thin.

Any solutions we can come up with within the current roster make me happy.

When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing. -Bo

I think they gambled on Fisher and Nowicki and lost. It would have been nice to have seen a stronger run at Flavin, but given the state of the defense and special teams it's likely DB and LB got prioritized for bodies.

Chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being sought. It always defeats order because it is better organized.

This has been a major topic of conversation on the board over the last two months. Has there been any news? I figured that since Brian listed him as a redshirt there might of been some information that I missed.

A 2nd DT, RB, pro-style WR, and TE. Also, you have to look at the talent available close by next year. The DE from Toledo has a HIGH interest in Michigan and is one of the very best defensive players in OH. I say he gets an offer. And there are two very good LB's in the state next year. My point is if there is (are) some really good athlete(s) with an interest in Michigan at some position, that has to be taken into consideration too.

"You owe it to every man, woman, and child in the State of Michigan to beat the Buckeyes and silence their fans! Now go out there and make it happen!"